Not that fluent
Courtesy: Kanien'keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center
Story told by Lorraine Montour
I think that I’m fluent in Mohawk but I’m not that fluent. I think about that often. I could say carrots, onions, and beans but as for other veggies or fruits, I have no idea. I don’t know why. It’s very important to teach children all the veggies because they need to learn that when they’re very young.
My mom would say, “Go in the root cellar and get me turnips,” or this and that. I’d go down there and oh my god - it smelt so good in that root cellar. All that dirt was so fine.
Stuff like that is important for children to experience. We need that this time of the year.
See, what’s the word for broccoli? I couldn’t tell you what broccoli is in Onkwehonwehnéha’. Some of our words are part French; they’re not Onkwehonwehnéha’. For example, the word for carrots is rakarót – that’s French.
I don’t know what a turnip is or a pumpkin or squash and I don’t know if I ever heard it. We always had beans and squash but even that, I don’t know. I think about it and get on the phone and call somebody. I usually call my aunt Louise. She always knows.
Kanien'kéha version
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Kanien'kéha version ↓
Iah eh tho teionhrónkha’
Mixed runner beans grown in Kahnawake by Stephen Silverbear McComber. (Credit: Stephen Silverbear McComber)
Lorraine Montour IAKOKÁ:RATON
Í:kehre’ tsi iekewennaié:ri ne Kanien’kéha nek tsi iah eh tho tekahrónkha’. Iotkà:te’ nè:’e enkanonhtonnión:ko’. Enkkwé:ni’ akì:ron’ rakarót, o’niónkhseri, tánon’ osahè:ta’ ok ne ó:ia’ ase’shòn:’a tóka’ ni’ ne kahi’shòn:’a, iah ki’ ne thé:nen tekewennaienté:ris. Iah tewakaterièn:tare’ oh nontié:ren. Kwah í:ken tsi iorihowá:nen aiethirihónnien’ ne ratiksa’okòn:’a akwé:kon tsi nahò:ten’ konwatiiátshon ne ase’shòn:’a nè:’e tsi ó:nen’k tsi nè:’e enhatiweientéhta’ne’ nó:nen akwah ken’ nithotiièn:sa.
Ake’nisténha enia’ì:ron’, “Onhontsó:kon ia’sátsnenht tánon’ otsihkwa’kó:wa takkwenni’sè:ra,” tóka’ ni’ tiok ki’ nahò:ten’ enkkóha’. Tho ki’ ienkátsnenhte’ tánon’ ó: sewenníio – tsi tiawenserákon’ thí: tho onhontsó:kon. Á:, niwa’kenhrí:io.
Iorihowá:nen ne tho nikarihò:ten’s ratiksa’okòn:’a tahontóhetste’. Né: ki’ teionkwatonhontsó:ni ken’ nikahá:wi tsi niióhseres.
Hé:, oh na’kawennò:ten’ ne otsi’tsakáhte’? Iah ki’ thakkwé:ni’ akonhró:ri’ oh na’kawennò:ten’ ne otsi’tsakáhte’ ne Onkwehonwehnéha.
Ótia’ke nonkwawenna’shòn:’a O’seronni’kéha’ ionkwatewennarákwen; iah ki’ Onkwehonwehnéha té:ken. Tsi nòn:wa ní:ioht, tsi na’kawennò:ten’ ne carrots, rakarót – O’seronni’kéha nen’ nè:’e.
Iah tekewennaienté:ri notsihkwa’kó:wa tóka’ ni’ ne onon’onsera’kó:wa tóka’ ni’ ne onon’ónsera’ tánon’ iah ki’ tewakaterièn:tare’ tóka’ nonwén:ton ne tewakewennahrón:ken. Tió:konte’ shes ionkwá:ien’ osahè:ta’ tánon’ onon’ónsera’ nek tsi akwé:kon ne iah tekewennaienté:ri. Enkanonhtónnionhwe’ sok ónhka’k ienkheiatewennátahse’. Iotkà:te’ aktén:t Rowísa ienkheiatewennátahse’. Tiótkon se’ wáhi akaónha iakoterièn:tare’.
Translated by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette